All about access

from CLA Annual 2022

Building the rural future

n 2021, lockdown restrictions and the

Iboom in staycations have led to a repeat of access issues for landowners.

The CLA’s strategy on access, agreed by the CLA Council in 2019, has helped to shape a comprehensive project that covers two workstreams – policy and media – and member engagement and support. This article summarises progress on each workstream and gives an overview of our aims for 2022.

Policy and media

Throughout 2021, the CLA worked with Defra, Natural England, other key government departments, MPs and members on a variety of access-related issues such as public rights of way reforms (Deregulation Act) and temporary diversions. This work took place in tandem with a sustained eff ort to highlight access issues via media outlets.

In Wales, our engagement on the Welsh Government’s access reform project was completed in 2021. In 2022, our work will include considering our next steps once the government produces a response to reports by the Access Reform Advisory Group and subgroup on water in relationto placing higher rights on public rights of way and open access land and greater access to water.

The CLA took part in the Treasury’s Access to the Outdoors initiative, led by ministers, which looks at levelling up public access to the countryside and other green spaces. The CLA’s vice president emphasised that this can’t be a free-for-all option, and that any such plans will come at a cost to landowners.

We also worked with Defra on its Woodland Access Implementation Plan, making the case that a balance needs to be struck between the needs of people and nature. The CLA was given reassurances that open access to woodlands was not up for consideration.

In 2022, we hope to see more detail on voluntary, incentivised and permissive access that might fall under the Environment Land Management schemes, representing a potential opportunity for landowners to receive payment, especially for providing educational access, signage, infrastructure and the maintenance of such access.

Member engagement

Earlier in 2021 the CLA, along with partners, hosted a virtual access and livestock event, which saw almost 1,000 delegates attend. We then conducted a series of regional access roadshows covering key member issues, which helped inform policy work.

We shared Natural England’s survey with members later in the year to help inform and shape its revamped advice for land managers on the Countryside Code. The renewed version will be shared once it has been cleared by the secretary of state.

A large piece of work was our educational resource pack on the Countryside Code, which we launched in association with LEAF (Linking the Environment and Farming) and is a training tool for teachers and youth leaders. This is part of our eff orts in lobbying for the Code’s inclusion in the national curriculum. The pack was wellreceived at agricultural shows and was supported by podcasts. We continue to work hard in 2022 to extend its reach. The CLA is also working on new signage for members, which will be in the form of detailed informative signs and waymarker signs. This is in direct response to member feedback during our committee meetings.